Owens first GOP Colorado governor in more than two decades

(AllPolitics, November 4) -- Republican Bill Owens edged out his Democratic challenger Gail Schoettler in a very close race. The two candidates debated more than 20 times, sparring over transportation, environment and tax issues.

The two candidates offered voters a change. Owens said he would end almost a quarter of a century of Democratic domination of the governor's office. Schoettler wanted to be the first woman to hold the office in 122 years.

Owens, who served 12 years in the State House, did not support a controversial stadium tax and wanted to lower taxes and repeal of the state's personal property tax. He also said the tax system should be changed because businesses are overburdened by taxes.

Schoettler favored the stadium tax and promised a full review of the state's tax system. But she was against giving taxpayer money to private schools.

She openly favored a woman's right to a legal abortion, while Owens opposed legal abortions, except in cases of rape, incest, or when the life of the mother was endangered.

Owens was seen to have more money to spend in the final weeks of the campaign.

Schoettler got a boost when actor-director Robert Redford appeared at one of her fund-raisers. Redford said Schoettler was better for the environment than Owens, a former lobbyist for the oil and gas industry.

With a good economy, voters appeared complacent. But Democratic insiders worried, and rightfully so, that the state was drifting Republican. Bill Clinton carried Colorado in 1992. But voters went for Bob Dole four years later. In 1997 both Democrats and Republicans chose Coloradans to head their parties, Democrat Roy Romer and Republican Jim Nicholson.